How Goje’s 16-Year Grip On Gombe Central Crippled Youth Leadership

By Idris Abubakar

The pattern of political suppression associated with Senator Danjuma Goje did not begin with the youth of Gombe Central. It began much earlier with the sidelining of senior political figures who once sacrificed their influence, structures, and goodwill to build his political career.

Respected leaders such as the late Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan (Baraden Gombe) and the late Dr. Sulaiman Kumo, both instrumental in his political rise, were eventually pushed aside and politically diminished. Even more striking is his alleged betrayal of one of his most prominent benefactors—a former Vice President who strongly backed him in 2003 to secure the PDP governorship ticket that led to his emergence as Governor of Gombe State.

Rather than consolidating loyalty and strengthening alliances, Goje’s politics has often reflected self-preservation, suspicion, and a refusal to tolerate strong or independent voices.

This pattern explains why many believe he lacks the confidence or willingness to groom future leaders, choosing instead to prioritize personal ambition over the long-term political future of Gombe Central.

A fundamental question therefore arises: If past leaders had refused to support and elevate him, would he have attained the offices and accomplishments he frequently references today? Leadership thrives on mentorship, opportunity, and succession not obstruction. By consistently closing political space to young and emerging leaders, Goje has positioned himself, in the eyes of many critics, as a barrier to generational progress.

A Record of Political Suppression
For over 16 years of representation, Goje’s style of politics has systematically weakened, sidelined, or completely shut out capable young and experienced politicians who had the potential to contribute meaningfully to the zone’s future.
Several concrete examples illustrate this trend:

Shuaibu Galadima, a former member of the House of Representatives from Yamaltu/Deba, was denied the opportunity to progress politically.

Muhammad Bello Sulaiman, a two-term House member representing Akko, was politically reduced rather than supported to advance.

Muazu Hassan, another former House member from Akko, was deliberately blocked from moving beyond his previous office.
Perhaps the most telling example is Idris Abdullahi, a former senator and minister. In 2019, he was reportedly deceived with hypocritical assurances public support was promised while private strategies were deployed to secure Goje’s own political survival. Although Barrister Idris rose to national prominence, the manipulative politics surrounding his emergence weakened his political structure and stalled his long-term relevance.

A Structure That Produces No Successors
Even more revealing is the fact that, from Goje’s political camp in Gombe Central, not a single loyalist currently sits in the State House of Assembly. This reality underscores a disturbing truth: his political structure does not produce successors—it only sustains control.

Instead of deliberate youth empowerment, political mentorship, and leadership grooming, young people are routinely offered token items such as rice, sewing machines, or grinding machines gestures that cannot be described as genuine political or economic empowerment.

The Cost of Political Stagnation
The consequences of this approach are now evident. After more than a decade and a half of dominance, Gombe Central lacks a viable, youth-driven political structure capable of producing credible candidates for higher offices, including the governorship. This is not leadership development; it is political stagnation.

A Call for Change
For the future of Gombe Central, this approach must change. The youths deserve inclusion, mentorship, and a clear pathway to leadership—not systematic obstruction and the deliberate closure of political space.
The growing call among young people is simple but powerful: reclaim the political space, restore mentorship, and reshape the district’s trajectory for generations to come.

Idris, an advocate for good governance wrote from Gombe Central, Gombe State.